Considering the lack of speed on this team... would a playoff debut of Pedro Leon be in the works? Last 10 games: .317 BA, 1.004 OPS, 4 SB ... but a crapload of strikeouts (12 in 29 AB). I see him making it out of camp as the potential starting OFer next year...
40 Man Roster potential replacement players. Pitchers Verlander 15-day Expected to rejoin before playoffs Pressly 15-day Expected to rejoin before playoffs Rehab delayed James 60-day AAA Rehab ??? Taylor 60-day AAA Rehab ??? Position A Diaz 10-day Expected to rejoin before playoffs AAA Rehab Castro 60-day Not expected to return Brantley 60-day Not expected to return
Astros carried 12 pitchers on the ALDS roster last year. Who are your 12 this year? I think there are 10 locks with 2 spots up in the air. Locks: Verlander, Framber, McCullers, Urquidy, Javier, Pressly, Montero, Stanek, Neris, Abreu That leaves 2 spots for Smith, Maton, Brown, Garcia, and Martinez.
I think Garcia is a lock and Maton is very close based on playoffs last year. I am worried that the team decides they must have a lefty though.
I know it’s been mentioned but the OF FAs next year are not very enticing outside of Judge. If we are losing Yuli, Brantley, and if JV doesn’t come back I wish they’d offer what it would take to sign Aaron. I think the pitching with LMJ, Framber, Garcia, Javier, Urquidy, Brown and possibly Whitely will be fine. The lineup needs a big shot in the arm.
Judge? He is going to get the motherlode. Astros will never tie up that much money on one player. If by some miracle, they were willing to give a contract like that he is going to get, go after Ohtani since he takes the rotation spot from Verlander and would dramatically impact our offense. Both are a pipe dream.
No, just no. We could use a bat, but we aren't going to sign a guy like that when we wouldn't re-sign Springer or Correa.
I agree but Judge isn't happening. The holes in the lineup with Brantley, Yuli, and Vazquez being free agents makes letting Verlander leave seem like a strong possibility. Especially if he wants 40 million plus per season. I would spend the JV money like this... 1. Sign Jose Abreu, Josh Bell, or Mancini for 1st base. 2. Extend Vazquez to be the starting catcher. 3. Trade for Ian Happ. He is a rental but leading left fielders in OPS among hitters that have enough plate appearances to qualify for leader boards. If you can't do that bring Brantley back on a lower salary with incentives, or take a look at Conforto on a one year prove it deal. This fills all the holes in the lineup except CF which is a very weak market. Only Nimmo is any good among the free agents and I expect the Mets to keep him. The price for Reynolds and Mullins is too much. I let Meyers, Leon, and Chaz fight it out for CF in spring training.
Right now the playoff rotation looks like 1. Verlander 2. Valdez 3. McCullers 4. Javier No brainer. Verlander (I'm assuming he'll be back healthy) is the alpha dog of this rotation. He leads the pack and sets the tone. Also pretty obvious at this point. He's been consistently good. I understand why some people want McCullers to be in the bullpen. However, we didn't put him on the starter's rehab plan, only to have him not start. He has said himself that he prefers a consistent routine (as in, scheduled starts) as opposed to "get ready whenever you're called on." And, he is really rounding into form as he's shaking off the rust. If he was going to be a reliever we would have rehabbed him as a reliever, and put him in the bullpen (which actually could have made sense given the depth we have in the rotation). He will start. This one is a bit trickier, but Javier has the best swing and miss stuff + consistency of the remaining guys, and with 4 guys competing for the last spot, it's not easy but I think Javier has earned it. Should we make the ALCS and reach Game 6, we will need a fifth starter, so one of the others can get that start.
How can Seth Martinez not be part of Astros playoff roster? If Brown pitches well, I can see Garcia being left out. Maton & Neris could also be left out.
My post was only about who the starters will be. I believe Martinez is playing his way onto the playoff roster, but he is not a starter.
Teams want swing and miss stuff in the playoffs, and in the bullpen in general. Martinez has done an admirable job in what chances he's been given, but his 3.44 FIP and 4.01 xFIP suggest quite a bit of luck, and his work has come in exceedingly low leverage situations. The fact that the team hasn't even really tried to increase his leverage work pretty much says all you need to know about where he is on a postseason pecking order. As of right now there are 6 starters, 7 relievers and possibly Hunter Brown who would all be ahead of him.
Legends rarely perform as well after they are recognized as legends. And many of those who did were doped.
Astros have 6 games coming up with Tampa and it is very possible that we see Tampa in the ALDS. I don't let them face Hunter Brown in the regular season. I want the first time they see his stuff to be in the playoffs or next season.
I boldly ... boldly ... predict that Justin Verlander, Framber Valdez and Lance McCullers will make the playoff roster. No other playoff team will want to face those three in a series. And the Astros will run out as their 4th starter their choice of Urquidy, Garcia, Javier or Brown. No much of a break.
Would love to have Brown face TB, BAL, and PHI once heading into the playoffs. Would like to see how he performs facing teams still trying their hardest to make playoffs.
There is no way Martinez is going to be on the playoff roster outside of 2 or 3 injuries. I like Martinez btw.
